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The Buzz Cut: Britney Reminds Us How Often Women Are Denied Freedom for ‘Their Own Good’

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Jun 26, 2021

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Image credit: freebritneyarmy

In The Buzz Cutwe bring you a round-up of all the weird, controversial, and wonderful stories we’ve been reading all week.


The Britney Spears story this week unfolded several truths — about pop culture discourse, legal autonomy, disability rights, toxic parenting, and feminism. The loss of freedom and agency resonates with women and other marginalized groups who are gaslighted into suppression: “it is yet another example of how men can impose power over women by calling them mad.”

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This profile of C.B. Muthamma is an ode to India’s first woman foreign officer who “made history by exposing the misogyny of the country’s elite diplomatic corps.” It resurrects the ambassador’s story from history: noting how her her position carried with it a “freedom” that made many uncomfortable.

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With pride-focused merchandise and “queerbaiting” movie characters, Disney’s activities during the Pride Month put the spotlight back on its hypocrisy. Their efforts to “co-opt Pride as a show of radical acceptance is an attempt to mask continued refusals to support the LGBTQ community behind the scenes.”

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Locals in Assam displaced by floods in the Brahmaptrua region are capturing their loss of identity and home through songs. You can hear the lament of the Brahmaputra while tracing their roots on a map.

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In the early 2000s, a man started selling an organic alternative to Viagra everywhere from the U.S. to India, made a ton of money, and later got arrested for scamming people. But the pill continues to be sold in most places — showing hard truths about lacking regulations around dietary supplements.

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A disc golfer signed a $10 million endorsement deal, making people wonder about the power of social media in bridging the gap between a niche sport and mainstream culture. It raises the more intriguing question around “How much can athletes really make in niche sports?” — and turns out, a lot.

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Written By Saumya Kalia

Saumya Kalia is an Associate Editor at The Swaddle. Her journalism and writing explore issues of social justice, digital sub-cultures, media ecosystem, literature, and memory as they cut across socio-cultural periods. You can reach her at @Saumya_Kalia.

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